ABSTRACT
This Chapter aims to describe the causes, timing and magnitudes of large floods in Iberian rivers, discusses changes in flood-related drivers, including extreme precipitation patterns and land-use change and provides data on maximum river flows and their trends. It considers the evolution of reported flood damage and weigh up the role of physical phenomena, and socioeconomic components of flood risk. The Iberian Peninsula is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the east. Early detection of change in runoff and streamflow is difficult due to the limited spatial coverage of streamflow gauge stations, the short time series for many rivers, and incomplete records. Identifying changes in streamflow hydrology is a difficult task, particularly in regions with a large inter-annual and seasonal variability, and short gauge-station records. Medium/long-term flood behaviour may be anticipated by climate model projections of standardised indexes characterising the prevailing atmospheric circulation over time.
